Fabulous Earth-Friendly Ideas

A number of earth-friendly elements were combined to make Regina and Justin's amazing fall wedding...well...amazing!

Yesterday's post focused on "previously-viewed" ceremony displays doing double duty at the reception. The images to the left show how this one dramatic display is almost completely transformed once moved to a new location.

Thanks to Martha of Martha's Gardens for inspiration and her commitment to earth-friendly wedding flowers. With close to 200 guests, we had 23 guest tables, however not every table had a dramatic floral centerpiece. At least 10 tables had a variety of candles, vases both square and chunky with candles, votives and colorful newly fallen leaves adorning the tables. This not only saved money but the environment by using completely re-usable vases, beeswax candles and of course leaves which would have blown into the Mississippi River anyway!

At the end of the night, the flowers were gathered and reused the next day for Sunday brunch and some made their way to a nearby nursing home to brighten a few lives.

Recycling Ceremony Flowers

A commitment we make to couples who hire us is to get the most out of the flowers we use for both the ceremony and reception. In these next few photos check out the ceremony displays...they're magnificent but they're also recycled for the reception and do not look out of place. I love it when we can find new uses for "previously-viewed" flowers.

Smart Wedding Flowers

From buying in bulk to re-using petals for a fairy tale send-off, the editors of Portovert.com have rounded up ten of their favorite ways to save on flowers (hint: these ideas are all eco-friendly, too!).

1. Buy in Bulk: Ecuador's long days and cool nights yield some of the world's most perfect organic roses, but only Organic Bouquet ships carbon-neutral pesticide-free blooms from the region. The company's wholesale site makes bulk orders cost as little as ninety-eight cents a stem.
2. Location, Location, Location: We've said it before and we'll say it again: buy locally! Packaging and transportation can significantly increase the cost of goods. Buying local, seasonal flowers can save you as much as 40%.
3. Double Up: Repurposing flowers is thrifty and sustainable. Display your bridal bouquet purposefully in a thematic container to dress up your couple's table.
4. Reuse: Want a spectacular send-off? Ask friends to pluck rose petals from table arrangements for the end-of evening toss.
5. Less is More: Choose large, full flower heads, like the hydrangea, forcenterpieces. Fewer large-headed flowers will produce the same wow ffect of a dozen or more smaller blooms.
6. Branch Out: Add an architectural element, like curly willow, which can be harvested from your backyard (and replenishes itself quickly!).
7. Something Borrowed: An eclectic collection of containers can add warmth and romance to a space. Skip the rentals and borrow vases, pots or unusual containers from friends and family.
8. Mix it Up: Exotic flowers are lovely, but you can achieve the same element of surprise by combining flora and fauna with other natural objects like fruits, vegetables, shells and nuts.
9. Take Root: Well-spaced pots of manicured plants can add a special touch to a wedding, and can be found at your local garden nursery. They're inexpensive and make lovely favors for guests.
10. Skip It: There is no one way to decorate a wedding. Flowers are beautiful, but there are other ways to bring color to your celebration.

This is a re-print from iDo Foundation which I came across today - these are sound practices and ones we have adopted for "I Do Vow To"

Affordable Edible Centerpieces

What could be a more perfect solution to "tastes great - less waste" than centerpiece cakes? Here are just three examples of the six different styles and flavors of cakes from the delectable kitchens of April Wysocki of Country Cake Cupboard in Long Lake for a wedding we designed and coordinated this summer.

The mother of the bride came to us with concerns over excessive waste associated with her daughter's wedding and as it turns out, this was the driving force behind every decision made or vendor hired.

Three caterers were hired for various other events that weekend; the casual welcome dinner on Friday, rehearsal dinner Saturday and going-away brunch Monday morning after the wedding. In all three cases, the caterers worked with local sustainable farms for organically grown produce. They also committed to providing less waste and using recyclable materials for decor and serviceware.






















This wedding was truly a one-of-a-kind from start to finish in both functionality and design and I know our couple and mother of the bride felt their goals of designing and producing an environmentally and socially responsible wedding were exceeded.

Why "I Do Vow To"

With a very uncertain economy and even shakier sense of life as we know it, our confidence and security are being tested daily. Gas prices are up, gas prices are down, global warming threatens human existence...not to mention terrorism threats and the daily roller coaster we call the stock market.

I have been meeting with many couples who want to go beyond just planning their wedding. They want to show gratitude for their blessings as well as wanting to contribute in some small or large way to leaving a smaller carbon footprint, reinvesting in the local economy and improving the lives of others. They want their wedding to represent an awareness of the greater good, in addition to having one heck of a good time.

So, why "I Do Vow To"...we want to meet the needs of these couples and wedding professionals who recognize the opportunity to make life just a little better for those less fortunate than themselves. For example, one of my favorite photographers does more than photograph weddings - he donates a minimum of four weeks every year to building homes or schools in third world countries. He also sponsors a child for an annual membership fee in the name of the couples who hire him to photograph their wedding.

After extensive research, networking and hand-selecting vendors, I have put together this opportunity which I believe will fulfill the needs of those couples who feel a commitment to making a lasting impact to community in big or small ways. Every couple who contracts with "I Do Vow To" will have the benefit of choosing other wedding professionals who are committed to making a global difference as well.

Watch for additional posts as "I Do Vow To" adds additional professionals to our recommended list of vendors and new ideas we would love to see catch on.

Welcome to "I Do Vow To"

Is the wedding business recession proof? That's a great question. Couples still marry at the rate of 57,000 weddings each week with the national average cost of a wedding at over $27,000. While I do not expect to see budgets lowered significantly, I do see guest lists dropping.

Couples I work with are spending more time carefully putting together their guest list, including only those whose attendance would make a difference in their day.

Making a difference is the entire message of I Do Vow To the blog and website. I hope to help couples as well as other wedding planners make a difference with the decisions they make, wedding professionals they hire and what can be given back to community while planning their wedding. I hope these decisions will continue to have impact well beyond their wedding day.

Look for the I Do Vow To website ready by Christmas but in the meantime, keep checking back for tips and ideas on how you can make a difference planning your very unique and very memorable wedding.